


The Wings of Independence

by limitedbycreativity



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Married Couple, Modern Era, Prompt Fill, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 21:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/790517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limitedbycreativity/pseuds/limitedbycreativity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Catelyn finds it a little difficult as her oldest baby leaves home. Luckily, Ned always knows the right thing to say.</p><p>
  <i>Written for a prompt on tumblr: Ned/Cat nowadays, and the feeling of watching the children growing up.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wings of Independence

**Author's Note:**

> I received this prompt on tumblr a while ago, and finally worked up the courage to post it here! My first foray into this fandom, being a fairly recently turned fan. 
> 
> The title quote is from Denis Waitley: _"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence."_
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

_**It kills you to see them grow up.  But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't**. - Barbara Kingsolver_

* * *

  

It had been a trying day, and there was nothing Ned was looking forward to more than getting back into his own bed, pulling his wife close and sleeping for a long, long time. 

It was late September, the last hints of summer well and truly gone and autumn upon them; winter was on its way, and the Stark house was minus one member. Robb, their oldest, was starting his first term at University, across the country from his parents.

 _“I want to be independent,”_ he had told them whilst applying (which, of course, translated as “I want to be as far away from my parents as possible” but Robb would never say that aloud). And so, two weeks were dedicated to organizing and packing Robb’s life into boxes, loaded them into the car, and then Ned and Cat had ferried him south to set him up in student accommodation, in a vibrant, busy city; more vibrant and busy than their boy had ever known up north.

Arya had stamped her feet and demanded that Robb not leave, and then sulked for his final week at home, watching with cross gray eyes as his belongings were packed. Sansa, meanwhile, had been ecstatic, begging her parents to let her have Robb’s room (which was bigger than hers,  _and_ had a bigger wardrobe). Ned hadn’t missed the way she had hugged her big brother for longer than necessary on the day of his departure, though, nor the tremor to her mouth as they drove away.

Bran had taken the news quietly, but Ned and Cat had both noticed how he followed his older brother round closely during the final few days. Little Rickon was too young to really understand what was happening, and Ned had a feeling that when they got home, Rickon would be asking  _“Where’s Robby?”_ , which, considering her current condition, wouldn’t go down well with Catelyn. 

She sat in the passenger’s seat of the car, eyes fixed out the window as they drove through the city and her eyes still a little misty. She had kept a brave face on throughout this whole process, even when they had packed up Robb’s room (although she had looked a little red-eyed when she’d returned from donating Robb’s old, unwanted toys to the childrens’ home). When they had departed, she kissed her firstborn son’s face and hugged him tightly, and had smiled as they left him to bond with his flatmates, but the moment Ned had pulled away from the kerb she burst into tears.

Eddard Stark was not a particularly emotional man, nor was he good at dealing with displays of emotion (the kids’ broken hearts, teenage woes and personal dramas were largely left for Cat to deal with - he was much better at kissing scraped knees and hoisting them back onto the bike), so for the longest time they drove in silence, while Cat tried to bring herself back into check and Ned silently cursed himself for not knowing how to comfort her.

 _Christ, you’ve only been married 20 years_ _!_  he grumbled under his breath. But it had been 20 largely happy years, and most problems could be solved by climbing into bed beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her and hoping she understood his silent message (and she always could - from the day he had first asked her out to dinner, Catelyn Tully had been able to read him like a book). It was difficult to embrace somebody sitting side by side in a car, however, so when they hit the first red traffic light, Ned reached over and clasped her hand, intertwining their fingers. Catelyn gripped back fiercely. 

“Oh, Ned,” she sighed, her voice shaky, ”They’re growing up so fast,”

“Come on, love,” Ned said gently, “We always knew this was coming. Robb’s going to have a great time at Uni, just like we did,”

He glanced at her then and smirked lasciviously, and Cat’s face finally broke into a smile (albeit a small one).

“Shut up, you,” she muttered, not unfondly, and squeezed his fingers, “It just - it feels like only yesterday that he was toddling round the living room, and now he’s living away from home, miles and miles from us! When did he get so grown up?” 

“He’s eighteen, Cat,” Ned said gently, “I know you’ll miss him - I will too. But we have four more at home to coddle for a few years yet,”

(Ned was going to miss his oldest boy more than he could say, but all kids grew up and left home - he was a practical man, and had long prepared himself for this day.)

Catelyn scoffed, gazing down at their joined fingers. “Think how fast the years go, Ned. Arya and Bran are always out the house nowadays, playing sports or getting into trouble - and some of those pranks Arya’s got into trouble for pulling at school seem very mature for someone her age!”

Catelyn looked up just in time to see Ned’s proud smile, and she released his hand in order to smack his leg, “It’s not funny!”

“The look on that Joffrey’s face was—”

“ _Eddard Stark_.”

Ned quickly schooled his features into something more acceptable, although the sparkle in his eyes didn’t fade. Arya reminded Ned of his sister Lyanna, who lived abroad with her son Jon and who they saw only rarely; Ned missed her a lot, Cat knew, and she quickly reached out again and took his hand.

“Even Rickon, my little baby, doesn’t need me much anymore,” Cat continued, leaning her head back against the headrest, “And Sansa -  _well_. Sansa. Always shopping with friends or on her phone, or with that new boyfriend of hers…”

“Sorry, that new  _what_?” 

Cat carried on as if she hadn’t heard Ned speaking, “I just wish they could all be little again, so I could hug them a little tighter or spend a little bit more time playing with them. God knows, when Bran was first born I could barely cope with him and Arya, let alone the older two - how neglected Sansa and Robb must have felt.”

Ned could sense his wife was getting teary-eyed again, and he lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckle, trying all the while to keep one eye on the road.

“You are a great mother, Cat.” he told her, “You’ve adored our babies, and they adore you - they always will. And they will always need you, too. We haven’t lost them, love. They may be growing up, but they will always be our babies.”

Catelyn studied her husband for a moment, admiring his profile as he watched the road, the hand not holding hers on the steering wheel. He was as handsome as he had been on their wedding day, close to two decades ago, and somehow he always knew what to say to make her feel better.  She still felt she had left a part of her heart with Robb (a sixth, to be exact, the other parts belonging to her Ned and her four other children), but Ned’s unwavering faith in her and his kind words had reminded her that they’d raised a smart, wise and wonderful boy who would blossom and thrive at university (and hopefully remember to call his mother from time to time).

After a long pause, she finally said, “You know.. we’re not too old yet. We could always have one more.” 

Ned gave a gravely chuckle, the one that always sent a thrill through her, and grinned across the car. “You can’t throw something like that at a man while he’s driving, Cat!” 

Cat grinned back and settled in her seat, lifting her hand to trace the shell of her husband's ear. Ned hummed contentedly, then cleared his throat.

“So, what’s this about Sansa’s  _boyfriend_?” 


End file.
